17 Jun 2012
Magadan Mask of Sorrow
Everyone enjoyed some fine hospitality and tasty caribou soup on our visit to the historic town of Okhotsk. The locals welcomed us with a concert in the town square which has certainly changed since Vitus Bering passed this way in the 1720's. The town reached its zenith during the Soviet period and today there are about 4,000 inhabitants, engaged mainly in fishing and mining.
A highlight for birders was a visit to Talan Island, where we encountered many thousands of Whiskered Auklets. Their beating wings were a circus, symphony and ballet all rolled into one.
Historians will have heard of the city of Magadan (port shown above), through which many thousands of political prisoners passed on their way to the notorious Gulags between 1932 and 1952. During our time there we visited the "Mask of Sorrow" memorial on a hill overlooking the city, where we reflected on those who had suffered and died during this gruesome period in Soviet history. In any language the message of the sculpture is clear.
This morning we made a landing at the Burgauli River where we saw some of the infamous Brown Bears.
14 Jun 2012
The day was spent making three landings within the Dzhugdzhursky Zapovednik Nature Reserve where few foreign visitors ever venture. The first landin…READ MORE
13 Jun 2012
Ice affected our plans for the Shanter Islands in a good way - it meant there were still lots of seals around. The Sea of Okhotsk has four species o…READ MORE
11 Jun 2012
Iony Island is rarely marked on maps, but must be one of the outstanding natural history sites of the world. Probably only a handful of people have…READ MORE
